Department for Transport

Associated British Ports and DP World: Southampton Port

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to prevent the Harbour Revision Order being used by AB Ports and DP World to fast track planning and control of the Southampton port area without formal consultation.

Baroness Vere of Norbiton: Harbour Revision Orders (HROS) are devolved to the Marine Management Organisation (MMO), which handles all aspects of the process, except for their final laying in Parliament. All HROS must include a formal consultation process which is overseen by the MMO, and the department is a statutory consultee on all HROS, along with other relevant bodies. These procedures for handling HROs, alongside legal checks and normal policy checks prevent HROS being used a fast-track process, as it is noted by the MMO that HROS commonly take at least a year to process.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Consumer Goods: Origin Marking

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byLord Callanan on 30 March (HL7007), whether they will bring forward proposals to require the specification of the country of origin or manufacture of all goods sold to consumers online.

Lord Callanan: As noted in my previous reply, the Government have no plans to introduce such a requirement on behalf of consumers. The Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008 (CPRs) apply across all business sectors. They prohibit all traders from engaging in unfair commercial practices in connection with the promotion, sale and supply of products to consumers. Under the CPRs, traders are required to provide consumers with the information they need to make informed purchasing decisions. The regulations prohibit commercial practices which omit or hide material information which the average consumer needs, according to the context, to make an informed choice, where such an omission causes or is likely to cause them to make a different choice (e.g. purchase goods or a service that would not otherwise have been purchased).

Small Businesses: Government Assistance

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government what further steps they will take to support small- and medium-sized businesses with rising costs.

Lord Callanan: The Government is providing a range of support to help small and medium-sized businesses with rising costs. The Government has cut fuel duty for 12 months, raised the Employment Allowance to £5,000, and is zero-rating VAT on energy-saving materials. This builds on existing support, including business rates relief worth £7 billion over five years. In addition, the Help to Grow programmes enable small and medium-sized businesses to mitigate the effects of rising costs by improving their productivity. Help to Grow Digital will support up to 100,000 SMEs by providing financial discounts covering half the costs of approved digital technologies, up to a value of £5000, to help them boost their performance. Help to Grow Management, meanwhile, is an intensive national training programme designed to improve leadership and management skills. Delivered by leading business schools across the UK, the programme is 90% subsidised by the Government, with participants contributing £750. It will support up to 30,000 SME business leaders to increase productivity, seize investment opportunities and grow their businesses, developing skills in areas such as financial management, innovation and staff engagement.

Future Fund

Baroness Randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what stepsthey take if a company in receipt of funding under the Future Fund Scheme has not begun trading; what systems are in place to reclaim funding under that Scheme; and what criteria are applied for reclaiming such funding.

Lord Callanan: The purpose of the Future Fund was to support UK companies that typically rely on equity investment and were affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. It was open to all companies that met the scheme’s eligibility criteria. These included a requirement for the company to have been incorporated in the UK on or before 31 December 2019 and to have raised at least £250,000 in equity from third-party investors in previous funding rounds, in the five years prior to 19 April 2020. Provision was later made for certain non-UK parent companies to apply. The eligibility criteria did not include a requirement that companies must have begun trading. The convertible loan agreement (CLA) included a warranty from the company that it satisfied the eligibility criteria in full. Should a company be found to have failed to comply in any material respect with any of the provisions of the CLA, or if the company ceases to carry on all or a substantial part of its business, then the Future Fund has the right to call an Event of Default. In this case the Future Fund is entitled to request repayment of the loan and accrued interest, alongside a 100% redemption premium.

TotalEnergies: Russia

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the report by Global Witness in its article TotalEnergies ships Russian crude on Russian tanker, despite chief exec promise, published on 23 March, that TotalEnergies has continued to transport oil from Russia to the UK and Europe, despite its CEO’s commitment not to take oil from Russia; and what, if any, steps they intend to take as a result.

Lord Callanan: My Rt hon Friend the Prime Minister announced the Oil Taskforce on the 8th of March 2022. This is a joint government and industry group which will facilitate engagement and cooperation during the transition away from Russian oil and oil-related products by the end of 2022.

Energy: Billing

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with energy suppliers about the practice of automatically imposing rises in direct debits without prior discussion with consumers.

Lord Callanan: Ministers continue to engage extensively with Ofgem and senior representatives in the energy sector to understand the ongoing situation around rising energy prices. If customers do not receive prior notice of changes to their direct debit payments, they can make a complaint to their energy supplier.

Energy: Billing

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to require energy suppliers to consult with vulnerable customers before increasing their direct debit payments.

Lord Callanan: All suppliers must take all reasonable steps to ensure that customers’ direct debit payments are based on the best available information. Energy suppliers typically review their customers’ direct debit arrangements twice a year based on an actual meter reading to ensure payments are set at a level to avoid large credit or debit balances. A supplier should explain the reasons for changes made to a customer’s direct debit arrangement with 10 days advance notice before the next payment is taken. The customer may challenge a proposed increase and renegotiate the direct debit payment level.

Energy: Prices

Lord Oates: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they will take, if any, to protect disabled customers from the impact of rising energy costs.

Lord Callanan: Consumers in vulnerable situations due to health issues are protected by the energy price cap if they are on a supplier’s default or standard variable tariff. They will also receive £200 discount on their electricity bill this autumn, as part of the Government’s package worth £9.1 billion to help domestic households with rising energy bills. The Government will continue to support eligible vulnerable and low-income households through the Warm Home Discount, Winter Fuel Payments and Cold Weather Payments. From April, local authorities will receive another £500 million for the Household Support Fund to provide help to the most in need.

Diesel Fuel and Petrol: Prices

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the causes of the disparity in diesel and petrol prices at filling stations across the country.

Lord Callanan: The Department’s analysis shows that retail prices of petroleum products such as petrol and diesel are primarily driven by the underlying price in the global market of crude oil and by exchange rates. Departmental analysis shows that changes to the price of crude oil feed through to retail prices over the course of 6-7 weeks.

Small Modular Reactors: Trawsfynydd Power Station and Wylfa Power Station

Lord Wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their policy towards the construction of small modular reactors at the nuclear sites at (1) Trawsfynydd, and (2) Wylfa.

Lord Callanan: The Government notes growing local and regional interest in a number of sites for further nuclear development, including at Trawsfynydd and Wylfa. A new National Policy Statement for nuclear electricity generation infrastructure deployable after 2025 will be developed to reflect the changing policy and technology landscape for nuclear and support the transition to net zero. This will be consulted on in the usual manner, in due course.

Natural Gas: Nigeria

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to encourage oil and gas companies to increase investment in the Nigerian gas sector.

Lord Callanan: The UK Government no longer provides support for the fossil fuel energy sector overseas as of 31 March 2021, other than in limited circumstances. The policy is set out in this guidance document (also attached).UK international support for clean energy (pdf, 263.1KB)

Energy Supply

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they will publish their energy security strategy.

Lord Callanan: The Energy Security Strategy was published on Thursday 7th April on GOV.UK.

Department of Health and Social Care

Health Services: Consultants

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government why (1) the Royal College of Emergency Medicine, (2) the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh, (3) the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Glasgow, and (4) the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, are unable to play the same legal role as other medical Royal Colleges in the consultant appointment process in England.

Baroness Finlay of Llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government when changes to the National Health Service (Appointment of Consultants) Regulations 1996 will be consulted on; and when these regulations will be amended to include all medical Royal Colleges.

Lord Kamall: The National Health Service (Appointment of Consultants) Regulations 1996 do not prevent NHS trusts from seeking alternative members to contribute to the process of appointing consultants. The Regulations do provide discretion to involve these Royal Colleges where appropriate and do not apply to foundation trusts, which comprise the majority of trusts.We are considering the merits of amending the Regulations to include additional Colleges and will provide further details in due course.

Gynaecology

Lord Pendry: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that over 570,000 women in the UK are currently waiting to access gynaecology services; and what steps they are taking to address gynaecology waiting lists in England.

Lord Kamall: The latest available data shows that as of January 2022, there were 456,938 women on National Health Service gynaecology waiting lists in England.To address the backlog in waiting lists, including in gynaecology, we are investing more than £8 billion over the next three years, in addition to the £2 billion Elective Recovery Fund and £700 million Targeted Investment Fund already made available to increase elective activity.This funding aims to deliver the equivalent of approximately nine million more checks, scans and procedures and 30% more elective activity by 2024/25 compared to pre-pandemic levels, including in gynaecology services.

Coronavirus: Screening

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will support the creation of guidance to standardise the usein Emergency Departments of rapid-PCR testing for respiratory illnesses during future winters, in light of COVID-19.

Lord Kamall: We have no plans to do so as a standardised approach may not be viable in each emergency department. However, screening, triaging and testing for COVID-19 and other respiratory pathogens such as influenza and respiratory syncytial virus will continue to be practiced in emergency departments based on a clinician’s individual assessment. Organisations and employers should include testing as part of the infection prevention and control (IPC) risk mitigation strategy at times of increased infection prevalence. The choice of test, how and when these are deployed and whether confirmatory testing is required should form part of the local IPC policy for accident and emergency departments and admissions.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) provided additional advice to the Welsh Government on the cost-effectiveness of further vaccinating 50–64-year-olds to inform their decision to extend eligibility for 2022-3; and if so, whether that advice was made available to the UK Government.

Lord Kamall: The Welsh Government’s decision on the priority cohorts for inclusion in the 2022/23 annual flu vaccination programme was based on existing advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI). No additional advice was provided by the JCVI. Health departments in the devolved administrations are made aware of the JCVI’s advice through their designated observers, who attend JCVI and sub-committee meetings and receive committee papers. While the JCVI do not provide separate advice to the devolved administrations as a matter of course, it can do so if specifically asked.

Gambling: Rehabilitation

Lord Smith of Hindhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much money the NHS has spent treating patients with gambling-related addiction problems in (1) 2020, and (2) 2021.

Lord Smith of Hindhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many patients were treated by the NHS for gambling addiction problems in (1) 2020, and (2) 2021.

Lord Smith of Hindhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much money the NHS received from the gambling industry, including the National Lottery, in (1) 2019, (2) 2020, and (3) 2021.

Lord Smith of Hindhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what specialist gambling-related addiction services the NHS currently operates.

Lord Kamall: The NHS Long Term Plan announced the creation of 15 new specialist gambling treatment clinics. There are currently five specialist clinics in operation: the National Problem Gambling Clinic in London; a children and young persons’ provision at the National Problem Gambling Clinic; the Northern Gambling Service in Leeds; and satellite clinics in Manchester and Sunderland.National Health Service expenditure on the specialist clinics was £1 million in 2019/20, £1 million in 2020/21 and £3 million in 2021/22. Data on the number of patients treated by the NHS for gambling addiction is not held centrally. The NHS does not receive money directly from the gambling industry. Until 1 April 2022, the London and Leeds clinics were partially funded by GambleAware, an independent charity supported by voluntary donations from the gambling industry. GambleAware contributed £1.2 million per year to the NHS clinics in 2019, 2020 and 2021.

Coronavirus: General Practitioners and Pharmacy

Baroness McIntosh of Pickering: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of the level of COVID-19 infections on (1) pharmacies, and (2) GP surgeries.

Lord Kamall: No specific assessment has been made of the impact of the level of COVID-19 infections on pharmacies and general practitioner (GP) surgeries.However, to support community pharmacies during the pandemic, we reprioritised services, removed some administrative tasks, enabled working behind closed doors and allowed flexibility in opening hours and closures. If required, these measures can be reintroduced.In addition to £520 million made available to improve access and expand general practice capacity during the pandemic, we established a £250 million Winter Access Fund to allows patients to see or speak to GPs and their teams. In 2020, we announced £1.5 billion to create an additional 50 million general practice appointments by 2024 by increasing and diversifying the workforce.General practices have remained open throughout the pandemic, offering face to face appointments to those who need them as well as telephone and online consultations. Practices now offer triage and remote consultations alongside face-to face appointments, in order to see as many patients as possible, while protecting staff and patients from infection risks.

NHS England: Staff

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether community pharmacists have been considered as part of NHS England's upcoming workforce strategy.

Lord Kamall: Further information on the strategy, including which staff groups will be within its scope, will be available in due course.

Dementia: Health Services

Lord Goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government what keyperformance indicators will be used to assess the success of the dementia strategy.

Lord Kamall: We will set out our plans for dementia in England later this year. The strategy will focus on the specific health and care needs of people living with dementia and their carers, including dementia diagnosis, risk reduction and prevention and research. We will work with delivery partners to identify appropriate key performance indicators to monitor progress and assess the success of the strategy.

Dementia: Research

Lord Goodlad: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the dementia Moonshot commitment will bedelivered as part of the dementia strategy.

Lord Kamall: We will set out our plans for dementia in England later this year. The strategy will outline ambitions to increase dementia research and the delivery of the moonshot.

Preventive Medicine: Coronavirus

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether, other than Evusheld, they are aware of any monoclonal antibody treatment that can protect the clinically extremely vulnerable through pre-exposure prophylaxis (PREP) against Omicron and its variants; and, if so, to list them.

Lord Kamall: The Department’s Antivirals and Therapeutics Taskforce is scoping the potential for pre-exposure prophylaxis with experts from the Prophylaxis Oversight Group, the UK Health Security Agency and the multi-agency group RAPID C-19.The Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency has approved two such products - Evusheld and Ronapreve. However, treatments must demonstrate sufficient efficacy against Omicron and new variants. Ronapreve has been withdrawn from general use as it has since been found to be ineffective against the Omicron variant. We are therefore gathering data on how Evusheld performs against new variants.

Preventive Medicine: Coronavirus

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to protect the clinically extremely vulnerable by making pre-exposure prophylaxis (PREP) available in the UK; and whether this policy is dependent on a budgetary consideration.

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government who is responsible for (1) evaluating different monoclonal antibodies that work as pre-exposure prophylaxis to the clinically extremely vulnerable, and (2) providing recommendations to Ministers as to whether they should be introduced in place of the vaccinations for those in this group that aren’t protected by the existing vaccines.

Lord Kamall: The Antivirals and Therapeutics Taskforce is scoping pre-exposure prophylaxis, with the Prophylaxis Oversight Group, the UK Health Security Agency and RAPID C-19. The Taskforce provides recommendations to Ministers based on the available evidence and advice from these expert groups. RAPID C-19 provide recommendations on clinical policies, while the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency is responsible for authorising medicines. This includes the identification of patient groups which could benefit, determining potential deployment and administration processes and evaluation of any such products. Treatments must be clinically cost-effective and demonstrate sufficient efficacy against the Omicron and new variants to avoid mutations. Any plans to introduce prophylaxis is dependent on this evidence and value for money. Vaccines are recommended for those at high risk and the majority will be well protected by vaccination. Prophylaxis would not be introduced in place of vaccination.

Health Promotion Taskforce

Lord Moynihan: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Health Promotion Taskforce has had its first meeting; and if so, (1) who chaired it, (2) what items were on the agenda, and (3) what decisions were made.

Lord Kamall: The Heath Promotion Taskforce is a Cabinet Committee. It is a long-established precedent that information about the discussions that have taken place in Cabinet and its Committees and how often they have met, is not shared publicly.

Preventive Medicine: Coronavirus

Lord Mendelsohn: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is their estimate of the number of clinically extremely vulnerable individuals who do not make antibodies through the vaccinations currently available but who would be protected by pre-exposure prophylaxis from monoclonal antibodies.

Lord Kamall: No current estimate has been made. However, work is underway with clinical experts to understand the size of the cohort and degree of immune response and determine the potential patient groups which may benefit from pre-exposure prophylaxis monoclonal antibodies.The OCTAVE study has evaluated the immune responses following COVID-19 vaccination in patients with immune-mediated inflammatory diseases. The initial data from the study showed that approximately 11% of immunocompromised patients fail to generate any antibodies four weeks after two vaccines and 40% of people in the patient groups studied mounted a low serological immune response after two vaccines. Further studies including OCTAVE-DUO will provide evidence on immune response following subsequent vaccine doses. The Department is examining how these results may be used to inform which patient groups could benefit from pre-exposure prophylaxis.

Maternity Services: Safety

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the endorsement by the Ockenden Review, published on 30 March, of the recommendations of the House of Commons Health and Social Care Committee's report The safety of maternity services in England (Session 2021–22, HC19).

Lord Kamall: We have committed to implement the specific recommendations made by the Ockenden Review. This includes £127 million for maternity services in England to increase the workforce and fund programmes to strengthen leadership and retention. This is in addition to £95 million announced in 2021 to support the recruitment of 1,200 midwives and 100 consultant obstetricians and multi-disciplinary team training.The Review endorsed the Department’s plans to create a special health authority to continue the maternity investigation programme run by the Healthcare Safety Investigation Branch. We will continue to plan for the special health authority to commence its work from April 2023.

Health Services: Refugees

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many refugees from Afghanistan have been registered with the NHS; and how many have been provided with access to (1) a GP, and (2) maternal, (3) dental, and (4) mental health, services, within the past year.

Lord Kamall: We do not hold the data in the format requested. Clinical systems do not record whether individuals have been resettled through an Afghan resettlement scheme.

Care Homes: Complaints

Lord Hunt of Kings Heath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to improve the complaints system for people raising concerns about care or a care setting.

Lord Kamall: By law, all health and social care services must have a procedure for dealing efficiently with complaints and those who have experienced poor-quality care have the right to complain to the organisation which provided or paid for the care. If an individual is not satisfied with the way a provider or local authority has dealt with a complaint, they may escalate it to the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman. The Care Quality Commission also reviews how providers address complaints when reviewing how responsive and well-led a care home is, in addition to ensuring residents and relatives know how to raise concerns and feel they are listened to. We will keep the potential for further action to improve the complaints system under review.

Ministry of Justice

Lugano Convention

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to engage with EU countries, particularly Denmark, to seek a (1) speedy, and (2) satisfactory, resolution regarding membership to the Lugano Convention.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: The Government continues to engage with EU member states, including Denmark, about the UK’s application to join the Lugano Convention when opportunities arise. We maintain that the UK meets the criteria for accession both because Lugano is open to countries outside the EU and all non-EU members have already supported the UK's membership. However, the Government understands that the EU is unlikely to return to considering our application for some months. The UK remains a leader in Private International Law. We are committed to ensuring cross-border legal disputes can be resolved smoothly, in the interests of families, consumers and businesses in the UK, across Europe and beyond.

Lugano Convention

Baroness Goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government why they have delayed seeking membership to join the Lugano Convention.

Lord Wolfson of Tredegar: The UK applied to join the Lugano Convention in April 2020. This provided ample time for the contracting parties to consider the application so that it could have been brought into force by the end of the Transition Period. Switzerland, Norway and Iceland gave their consent within that timescale. However, the European Union declined to begin to consider the UK’s application until after the end of the Transition Period and has to date not provided a definitive response to our application. The Government maintains that the UK meets the criteria for accession.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Armenia: Nagorno Karabakh

Lord Flight: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the presence of (1) Armenian armed forces, and (2) other irregular groups, in Nagorno-Karabakh in violation of theclausesof the Trilateral Ceasefire Agreement of 10 November2020.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: Although the UK Government is aware of these reports we have not made an assessment on their reliability. However, the UK Government remains concerned by reports of ceasefire violations in Nagorno-Karabakh and deeply regrets the loss of life caused by exchanges of fire between the parties to the conflict. During his meetings with the Azerbaijani Ambassador on 29 March and the Armenian Ambassador on 31 March, the Minister for Europe and Americas reinforced the urgent need for a diplomatic solution to ongoing tensions in the region to ensure stability and security.

Wagner Group

Lord Robathan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what investigation, if any, they have undertaken into the Wagner Group and its sources of funding.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Wagner Group are a driver of conflict and capitalise on instability for their own interests. Wagner does not offer long-term security answers and operates opaquely. The Wagner Group is one of the over 1,000 individuals and businesses sanctioned under the Russia sanctions regime. It would not be appropriate to speculate on further potential Government activity, as doing so could reduce the impact of any options used in the future.

Libya: Wagner Group

Lord Robathan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the reported activity of the Wagner Group in Libya; and if they have made such an assessment, whether they have identified how those activities are funded.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The Wagner Group continues to play a destabilising role in Libya. The withdrawal of foreign forces and mercenaries, including the Wagner Group, is one of the UK's top priorities in Libya. We have been clear that this should happen without delay as set out in the UK-led UN Security Council Resolution 2570. The Wagner Group is sanctioned under the UK's Russia sanctions regime and the UK continues to work with international and Libyan partners to restore Libya's sovereignty, put the country on a path to sustained peace, security and prosperity and reduce space for hostile actors.

Ukraine: Refugees

The Earl of Sandwich: To ask Her Majesty's Government what specialised (1) care, and (2) advice, they are providing to Ukrainian refugees who are currently in Poland; what work they are doing with (a) UN agencies, and (b) NGOs, in reception centres in that country; and what particular support they are providing to (i) women, and (ii) children, who may be vulnerable to abuse or trafficking.

Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon: The UK has deployed a field team of humanitarian experts to Poland to provide logistics advice and analyse the evolving refugee situation ensuring support provided to refugees, including women and girls, is tailored to the local context, including the threats they face. Our humanitarian support will be implemented by trusted humanitarian partners with expertise in protection and safeguarding. FCDO staff are reiterating the importance of protection and safeguarding considerations in this response, including the risk of human trafficking, when liaising with HQ and regional staff of multilateral and NGO agencies. More broadly we will continue to coordinate law enforcement efforts by working closely with EU partners to target trafficking routes across Europe, provide protection to the most vulnerable and take tough action against those who seek to exploit people for financial gain.

Sudan: Politics and Government

The Marquess of Lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement by the Secretary-General's Special Representative for Sudan, Volker Perthes, on 28 March that the country is "heading towardseconomic and security collapse as well as significant humanitarian suffering", what steps they are taking, togetherwith international partners at the UN, to work towards securing a political agreement for a civilian-led transition in that country, following the military coup d'etat on 25 October 2021.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We echoed the concerns of the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative in a statement to the UN Security Council on 28 March. Ministers, British Embassy staff in Khartoum and FCDO officials also continue to raise our concerns at the situation and encourage all Sudanese political actors to engage in the talks facilitated by the UN and African Union (AU) to resolve the crisis. Most recently senior FCDO officials delivered these messages in meetings with Sudan's military leadership on 3 March and the UK and partners released a 'Friends of Sudan' statement in support of the UN/AU talks on 29 March.We continue to provide humanitarian assistance to the Sudanese people to help alleviate the immense economic pressures they face, exacerbated by the ongoing political crisis. In 2021, the UK contributed £27 million to humanitarian assistance in Sudan, which provided approximately 1.2 million people with live-saving assistance such as food, cash and voucher support, safe drinking water, shelter and sanitation. Restoration of a civilian-led government is however vital to help create the conditions for the resumption of wider support for Sudan's economy, including for International Financial Institution re-engagement and potential debt relief.

Ethiopia: Armed Conflict

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assistance they are providing in (1) Tigray, and (2) Ethiopia more generally, to victims of conflict-related sexual violence, particularly in relation to medical equipment and supplies.

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on victims of conflict-related sexual violence of (1) the destruction of medical clinics, and (2) reduced medical equipment and supplies, as a result of the war in Tigray.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We are appalled at the prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence and the destruction of medical facilities in northern Ethiopia, which is clearly impacting the availability and accessibility of support for survivors.The UK has been funding the delivery of lifesaving health and social services including reproductive health kits and supplies and clinical management to prevent HIV transmission, sexually transmitted infections and treat injuries and wounds caused by sexual assault. We are working through partners to remove barriers to medical care and psychosocial support for refugees in Addis Ababa that have been targeted with sexual violence. UK programmes are also building the capacity of the Ethiopian Human Rights Commission's ability to investigate conflict-related sexual violence and ensure that appropriate referrals to health and social services are made.Despite the recent overland humanitarian convoy that reached Mekelle on 1 April, the first in nearly four months, there has been negligible humanitarian access to Tigray since July last year. The UK welcomes the recent humanitarian truce, but urges all parties to take all necessary steps to provide unfettered and sustained humanitarian access to northern Ethiopia.

Venezuela: Wagner Group

Lord Robathan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the Wagner Group's reported activities in Venezuela, including reports of involvement in gold mining.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: We are deeply concerned by Wagner Group deployments to the Central African Republic, Libya, Mali, Mozambique, Sudan, Syria and Ukraine. We continue to monitor reports of Russian mercenaries in Venezuela, including reports that mercenaries who are either part of or affiliated to the Wagner Group have conducted activities in support of the Maduro regime.Illegal gold mining in Venezuela involves very serious human rights abuses at scale and is causing significant environmental and wider social damage, especially in the Arco Minero region. Russian private military companies are reported to be active in this area.

Tigray: Food Supply

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what estimate they have made of current (1) rates of (a) starvation, and (b) malnutrition, and (2) the availability of food, in Tigray.

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have madeas to whether starvation is being used as a weapon of war against the civilian population of Tigray.

Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park: The conflict in Ethiopia has caused huge levels of suffering. The UN estimates that more than 9 million people are in need food assistance in northern Ethiopia. The situation is most critical in Tigray where 5.2 million people require life-saving aid. Due to restrictions imposed the Government of Ethiopia and as a result of active conflict there has been negligible overland humanitarian access to Tigray since December 202 with less than 10% of required aid delivered since July last year. A critical shortage of food has seen partial food baskets distributed exacerbated by a shortage of fuel for relief operations. The lack of access makes it very challenging to accurately assess the nutrition context in Tigray. The UN estimates that roughly 454,000 children are malnourished in the region of whom some 115,000 are severely malnourished. Roughly 400,000 people are assessed to be experiencing catastrophic conditions akin to famine. We welcome the humanitarian ceasefire announced by the Ethiopian Government on 24 March and agreed by Tigrayan authorities on 25 March. It is crucial that this is translated immediately into the regular delivery of aid to Tigray by road following the movement of 21 trucks into Tigray – a third of which were UK funded – on 1 April. Since November 2020 the UK has allocated £15.6 million to the World Food Programme (WFP) for its food and nutrition operations in northern Ethiopia. This helped WFP reach more than 885,000 people with food assistance and approximately 219,000 people with nutrition support.

Ministry of Defence

Gruinard Island: Fires

Lord Haworth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the long-term effects of the recent fire on Gruinard Island, in the light of the earlier use of that island for UKtesting of biological weapons.

Baroness Goldie: Following decontamination, Gruinard Island was declared safe by an independent advisory group prior to public confirmation in 1990. The Ministry of Defence (MOD) subsequently sold the island back to the estate of the original owner following the island being declared safe by an Advisory group established by the then MOD Chief Scientific Advisor.

Ukraine: Military Aid

Lord McCrea of Magherafelt and Cookstown: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with the government of Poland about the provision of tanks and helicopters to Ukraine.

Baroness Goldie: Poland joined the UK at the 2nd International Defence Donors' Conference for Ukraine on 31 March, which was convened by the Secretary of State. The decisions taken at the Conference will see the international community stepping up and increasing the co-ordination of military support to Ukraine.The Government is now working with Poland, the US and other Allies and partners to co-ordinate the provision of longer-term international support according to Ukrainian requirements, including the provision of air and coastal defence systems, longer-range artillery and counter battery capabilities, armoured vehicles as well as wider training and logistical support.

Royal Logistics Corps: Catering

Lord Rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government how manyprofessionally qualified cooks have been employed by the Royal Logistics Corps each year for the past five years.

Baroness Goldie: The table below shows the Strength of Trade Trained Regular Army with a Main Trade for Pay of "Chef", as at 1 April each year between 2017 – 2021: 1 April 20171 April 20181 April 20191 April 20201 April 20211,1881,1371,063993974Source: Analysis (Army) Notes: 1. The figures above are for the Trade Trained Regular Army only and therefore exclude Gurkhas, Full Time Reserve Service, Mobilised Reserves, Army Reserve and all other Reserves, but includes those personnel that have transferred from GURTAM to UKTAP.2. Figures include personnel serving in The Royal Logistics Corps or in Senior Soldier Career Posts with a Main Trade for Pay of "Chef".3. Figures represent the Strength of Trade Trained Regular Chefs at each situation date; personnel are included for each situation date that they are on Strength. These figures are Strengths, rather than the intake of Chefs in any given year.

Army: Food

Lord Rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government what daily amount has been allocated for food per serving British Army soldier each year for the past five years.

Baroness Goldie: The daily amount allocated for food per serving British Army soldier is calculated on a quarterly basis and is called the Daily Messing Rate (DMR). Units may claim this rate to fund feeding at sea, on exercise or on operations with a cost range to allow for the nature of the activity undertaken, and in the case of the Falkland Islands, the location. The table below sets out the Daily Messing Rate, by quarter for the past five years: Month/Year3000kcal DMR4000 kcal DMR5000 kcal DMRBFSAI (Falklands) DMRApr-17£3.03£3.49£5.40£3.03Jul-17£3.06£3.52£5.44£3.06Oct-17£3.11£3.50£5.47£3.41Jan-18£3.11£3.50£5.47£3.39Apr-18£3.13£3.51£5.56£3.44Jul-18£3.12£3.50£5.56£3.53Oct-18£3.32£3.76£5.87£3.61Jan-19£3.45£3.90£6.01£3.66Apr-19£3.49£3.93£6.06£3.67Jul-19£3.55£3.99£6.12£3.67Oct-19£3.56£4.01£6.13£3.70Jan-20£3.53£4.08£6.33£3.56Apr-20£3.58£4.14£6.39£3.59Jul-20£3.62£4.17£6.41£3.63Oct-20£3.63£4.19£6.43£3.47Jan-21£3.63£4.19£6.43£3.38Apr-21£3.64£4.21£6.45£3.38Jul-21£3.66£4.22£6.47£3.41Oct-21£3.63£4.11£6.06£3.66Jan-22£3.63£4.11£6.06£3.77

Army: Catering

Lord Rogan: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much they have spent on(1) directly employed cooks, and (2) outside contractors, to cater for British Army soldiers each year for the past five years.

Baroness Goldie: Due to the complexities of the contracts system and the way in which overseas provision is made, the department is unfortunately unable to provide the level of detail which has been requested. (1) While the Army has trained chefs within the Royal Logistics Corps (RLC), the number of which has been provided in response to question HL7457, it does not directly employ external cooks. There are approximately 48 military chefs and 12 x Locally Employed Civilians deployed within the Permanent Joint Operating Bases to provide catering. However, as they are employed within combined messing facilities, we are unable to a provide a specific breakout for the Army element. (2) The majority of facilities management contracts, which include catering, are Defence level contracts, therefore we are unable to break out specific Army related costs.

Baltic States: Military Aid

Lord Wigley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what financial provision they are making for the financial year 2022–23 to give military assistance to the Baltic states; and how, within NATO, are (1) they, (2) the government of the USA, and (3) the government of Canada, allocating any additional responsibilities.

Baroness Goldie: The UK enjoys close military relationships with the Baltic states. We work together both bilaterally and through various multilateral fora, including through NATO and the Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF). The UK trains and exercises routinely across the Baltic sea region. We are also the framework nation for the enhanced Forward Presence (eFP) Battlegroup in Estonia.The UK does not disclose live operational financial information. We discuss European Defence and security regularly with NATO Allies including the US and Canada, but cannot comment on how they allocate responsibilities within NATO. SACEUR has not requested any further NATO support or reinforcement to the region, but the UK stands ready to respond to future requests from NATO.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Birds of Prey: Poisoning

Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they intend to take any action regarding the discontinuation of the Dorset Police investigation into the poisoning of a white-tailed eagle in the county; and what steps they plan to take to protect white-tailed eagles and other domestic and wild animals from similar poisoning incidents.

Lord Benyon: Enforcement of wildlife offences is an operational matter for the police and it is not for the Government to comment on individual police investigations. However, where any protected birds are killed illegally the full force of the law should apply to any proven perpetrators of the crime. We have significant sanctions for this type of wildlife crime in place which includes an unlimited fine and/or a six-month custodial sentence.The Government supports the White-Tailed Eagle reintroduction project and hopes this extraordinary bird thrives in England as it has in parts of Scotland.The Government takes all wildlife crime seriously. To address concerns about the illegal killing of birds of prey, senior government and enforcement officers have identified raptor persecution as a national wildlife crime priority. Defra continues to be fully involved with the police-led national Raptor Persecution Priority Delivery Group and Natural England continues to work closely with wildlife crime officers. Defra has also more than doubled its funding of the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) from £165,000 per year to over £1.2 million over the next three years to target wildlife crime priorities including raptor persecution. The NWCU monitors and gathers intelligence on wildlife crime and aids police forces in their investigations when required.

Home Office

Visas: Russia

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the eight Tier 1 (Investor) visas granted to Russian nationals subject to UK sanctions in connection to the invasion of Ukrainian will be cancelled; if so, when; and if not, why not.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We do not routinely comment on the immigration status of individuals.However, a person subject to a travel ban under sanctions made under the Sanctions and Anti-Money Laundering Act 2018 is an excluded persons for the purposes of Section 8B the Immigration Act 1971. Such a person’s leave to enter or remain would therefore be cancelled.

Motor Vehicles

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government when they expect to publish the results of their targeted stakeholder consultation on the level of statutory fees paid to vehicle recovery operators; and whether as part of that consultation (1) the police, and (2) National Highways, were consulted on whether the service available from recovery operators is timely and efficient.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Government’s role is to set the statutory charges which the police can levy when they have exercised their vehicle recovery powers and we will shortly announce the next steps following our consultation.This consultation did not cover the way in which the police use their power to order vehicle removal, or the operation of recovery schemes and contracts.These, and any other arrangements which might be made for vehicle recovery, are operational matters for the Police and National Highways.

Visas: Russia

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans, if any, they have toname the eight Russian citizens who have been granted Investor (Tier 1) visas who are now subject to sanctions.

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many Russian nationals granted Investor (Tier 1) visas since 2008 have been found to pose a national security risk.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: We do not comment on national security matters.Whilst the sanctions list is published, we do not routinely comment on the immigration status of individuals.

Nationality and Borders Bill

The Lord Bishop of Durham: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether theyhave applied the Family Test to the Nationality and Borders Bill.

Baroness Williams of Trafford: The Nationality and Borders Bill is part of our New Plan for Immigration, delivering the most comprehensive reform of the asylum system in decades.We have undertaken an Equality Impact Assessment as part of our work on the Nationality and Borders Bill, which was published on 16 September 2021.The assessment considers the potential impacts on people because of their marriage / civil partnership. It also includes consideration of the possible impacts on children.The Equality Impact Assessment can be found on the GOV.UK website at; https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-nationality-and-borders-bill-equality-impact-assessment.the-nationality-and-borders-bill-equality-impact-a (pdf, 200.9KB)

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Homes for Ukraine Scheme

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps theyare taking to provide a formal central system of matching people who applied to the Homes for Ukraine Scheme to Ukrainians wishing to travel to the UK.

Lord Harrington of Watford: The initial phase of the Homes for Ukraine scheme is designed for sponsors with a named Ukrainian beneficiary. The second part of the scheme will provide the opportunity for sponsors without a named beneficiary. We are actively exploring ways in which we can build connections between UK Sponsors and Ukrainians that do not yet know each other, including working with NGOs. We are funding a pilot scheme for a digital matching tool and casework service that the NGO ReSet are testing. If successful, this could be scaled up at pace.

Electoral Commission

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what, if any, decision or guidance the Electoral Commission has made or published in the last four years they disagree with; and in each case, why they disagree with it.

Lord Greenhalgh: The Electoral Commission are operationally independent of Government and governed by their Electoral Commissioners. They are accountable to Parliament through the Speaker's Committee on the Electoral Commission. It would therefore not be appropriate for the Government to provide its views in relation to specific enforcement decisions by the Electoral Commission.The Government will continue to work closely with the Electoral Commission, and others, to protect the integrity, security and effectiveness of referendums and elections.

Regional Planning and Development

Lord Inglewood: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Levelling Up agenda applies (1) equally, and (2) equivalently, to both rural and urban, areas.

Lord Greenhalgh: As set out in the Levelling Up White Paper, the UK Government is committed to ensuring that all places across the UK, including both rural and urban communities, benefit from increased opportunity. The systems reform and specific policy interventions that we have committed to in the White Paper reflect this.

Elections: Proof of Identity

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of people who do not hold the accepted forms of photo ID to vote and will therefore require a photo voter ID card; and how many of those (1) have a disability, (2) live abroad, and (3) are aged over 70.

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of people who will apply for a photo voter ID card even if they already hold the accepted forms of photo ID to vote.

Lord Greenhalgh: The Cabinet Office published research on photographic identification in May 2021, which can be found here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/voter-identification-photographic-id-ownership-in-great-britain.This report contains information on levels of ownership of photographic identification and attitudes towards applying for voter cards.As the report makes clear, the vast majority of electors already possess one of the relevant forms of identification. This list will be set out clearly on poll cards to assist electors. Furthermore, the Electoral Commission will deliver comprehensive, targeted communications and guidance across the electorate to ensure awareness of the new voter identification requirements and processes. This will ensure electors have appropriate identification or have applied for a Voter Card ahead of electoral events and minimise the number of people applying for a voter card unnecessarily. HL7463 HL7464 ID Research Findings (pdf, 603.6KB)HL7463 HL7464 Photographic_ID_research-_full_data_ (xlsx, 769.2KB)

Regional Planning and Development: Rural Areas

Lord Foster of Bath: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they took, if any, to ensure that guidance for rural proofing as set out in the Annual Rural Proofing Report 2020,published on 26 March 2021,was followed in the preparation and publication of the Levelling Up White Paper.

Lord Greenhalgh: Chapter One of the Levelling Up White Paper sets out UK-wide analysis of a range of economic measures. This includes recognising the particular challenges and strengths of rural communities, such as high local belonging and connectedness, but lower connectivity, skills and productive capital. The Government is committed to ensuring that places across the UK, including rural communities, benefit from increased opportunity and investment as set out in the Levelling Up White Paper. The forthcoming Annual Report on Rural Proofing will focus more specifically on levelling up in rural areas.

Refugees: Ukraine

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to encourage Ukrainian refugees under the Homes for Ukraine scheme to receive the COVID-19 vaccination.

Lord Harrington of Watford: Ukrainian beneficiaries will have full and unrestricted access to healthcare and other support on the same footing as UK nationals. Councils should provide advice and referrals to specialist public health services as appropriate. I refer the Noble Lord to the guidance for local authorities which contains further details and has been published at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-guidance-for-councils. The Welcome Guide for Ukrainian guests informs Ukrainians how to get vaccinated if they are not already: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/welcome-a-guide-for-ukrainians-arriving-in-the-uk.HL7404 Homes for Ukraine Guidance for Councils (docx, 27.5KB)HL7404 Ukraine Welcome Guidance  (pdf, 4514.1KB)

Mayors: Elections

Lord Scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to their commitment to move to First Past the Post for future Metro Mayoral elections, when they consulted (1) the directly elected Metro Mayors in England, and (2) the areas they serve, about the proposal; and what the response was from each Metro Mayor.

Lord Greenhalgh: The change to the electoral system for metro mayors was a manifesto commitment. First Past the Post is the world's most widely used electoral system, and this change will further strengthen the accountability of elected mayors and PCCs to their electorate, making it easier for voters to express a clear choice.

Homes for Ukraine Scheme

Lord Field of Birkenhead: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many households signed up to the Homes for Ukraine scheme are currently subject to the under-occupancy penalty.

Lord Harrington of Watford: Potential sponsors who sign up to record their interest in the Homes for Ukraine scheme are not required to provide details of whether they are in receipt of Housing Benefit. The UK government is ensuring ‘thank you payments’ do not affect benefit entitlement and will remain tax-free.

Refugees: Ukraine

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to support Ukrainian refugees who will no longer be sponsored by their host after the proposed six-month time frame.

Lord Harrington of Watford: We have been working closely with local authorities in the lead up to the launch of the scheme as they have a vast amount of knowledge and experience of welcoming new arrivals and supporting their long-term integration. We are providing £10,500 per person to local authorities to enable them to provide much wider support to families to rebuild their lives and fully integrate into our communities. Ukrainian guests will be able to access benefits, healthcare, employment, and other support. After leaving their initial accommodation they will be able to rent a property and the local authorities can support them in finding alternative accommodation.

Homes for Ukraine Scheme

Lord Taylor of Warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to utilise the police to help regulate the Homes for Ukraine scheme.

Lord Harrington of Watford: The Home Office runs standard security checks on all visa applications and will do so for Homes for Ukraine beneficiaries and sponsors. The local authority will also complete checks on the accommodation and living arrangements very shortly after the individual and family arrives and decide which type of DBS checks are required in line with government guidance. I refer the Noble Lord to the guidance for local authorities which contains further details and has been published at: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/homes-for-ukraine-guidance-for-councils.HL7401 Homes for Ukraine Guidance for Councils (docx, 27.8KB)

Cabinet Office

Civil Servants: London Allowance

Lord Morris of Aberavon: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many civil servants who are currently primarily working from home received London weighting additional allowances in the last year for which figures are available.

Lord True: London weighting was removed as a prescribed central allowance in the 1990s. Civil Service pay arrangements have been delegated to individual departments for all grades below the Senior Civil Service, since 1996. London pay arrangements will therefore vary significantly between departments. There is no central source of data that links those working from home to pay conditions.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Channel Four Television

Lord Bourne of Aberystwyth: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the economic impact of commissioning by Channel 4.

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have carried out an impact assessment of the sale of Channel 4.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: Her Majesty’s Government consulted extensively on a change of ownership of Channel 4, and the views and evidence gathered from a wide range of interested parties – including from Channel 4 itself – has informed the Government’s assessment and wider policy-making.Following this consultation, the Secretary of State has come to a decision that, although Channel 4 as a business is currently performing well, public ownership is holding it back in the face of a rapidly-changing and competitive media landscape. The Secretary of State is now consulting with Cabinet colleagues on that decision.Her Majesty’s Government will set out its plan for Channel 4 in a White Paper shortly. The Government will also publish a rationale for its decision regarding Channel 4’s ownership model.

Gambling: Advertising

Baroness Merron: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made, if any, of the decision by the Advertising Standards Authority to ban gambling adverts featuring footballers and other sports personalities.

Baroness Merron: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have, if any, to introduce restrictions on gambling advertising following the completion of their review of gambling regulation.

Lord Parkinson of Whitley Bay: Her Majesty’s Government is reviewing the Gambling Act to make sure it is fit for the digital age. We have been clear, however, that work to raise standards and tackle gambling-related harm should continue alongside the review, and does not need to wait for it to be concluded. We are determined to protect those at risk of gambling related-harm and welcome the new measures announced by the Advertising Standards Authority further to reduce the appeal of gambling adverts to children and to ensure that the content of gambling adverts is appropriate for the age-restricted nature of the products.As part of the broad scope of the review, we called for evidence on the potential benefits or harms of allowing licensed gambling operators to advertise, engage in sponsorship arrangements, and make promotional offers. We are currently considering the evidence carefully and will publish a White Paper outlining our conclusions and any proposals for reform in the coming weeks.